


It's only life support

by BaronVonChop



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, it doesn't get too spicy, well maybe there's a tiny bit of spice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After escaping from Darth Maul and his brother, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress are forced to spend time together on a vessel that is rapidly losing heat...</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's only life support

Obi-Wan Kenobi had a lot on his mind. As he piloted the cockpit section of the Maul brothers’ ship away from the rest of the craft, he reflected on how he was leaving behind two of his enemies, while bringing along another. He looked over his shoulder at Asajj Ventress, and the slender warrior caught his look and gave him a brief smirk before turning her attention to the stars passing them by.

What a day it had already been, and it was certainly not over yet. The reappearance of Darth Maul loomed in his mind. The galaxy felt like a darker, colder place with the knowledge that Maul stalked the stars again.

Obi-Wan shivered. He drew in a deep breath, held it, and released it in order to clear his mind. He needed to put aside thoughts of Maul to focus on the situation at hand.

“It’s getting colder,” Ventress stated, her voice flat.

So it wasn’t just his imagination. She was right: the craft was losing heat. “And here I thought it was just your personality,” he replied, earning a scoff from Ventress. He tapped at the console’s readout. “It looks like we took some damage while separating from the cargo section of the ship.”

Ventress leaned her back against the side of the cockpit and slid down to a sitting position. “Nice going, Kenobi. Leave it to you to damage an escape pod when abandoning ship.”

“I was in a bit of a rush,” he shot back. “If you’ll recall, it was you who was telling me to hurry.”

Ventress gestured at the door in the rear of the cockpit, where the two Zabrak had recently attempted to break through. “I would have thought the madmen trying to cut us down were reason enough to get out of there, but by all means, blame me.” She wrapped her arms around her knees.

Kenobi opened his mouth to retort before realizing that he was allowing himself to get drawn into an argument. He ran his hand through his hair, letting his exasperation pass through him. What was it about Ventress that made him lose his cool? Was it that, despite all the harm she had done, he still couldn’t see her as a lost cause? Had there ever been a time in Ventress’s life when she wasn’t being manipulated by someone?

Maybe that time was now. The Sith and the Nightsisters had both betrayed Ventress, leaving her on her own for the first time since Kenobi had met her. She had redefined herself as a bounty hunter, and Kenobi had to admit it fit her. At least she was taking her anger out on criminals for a change.

Ventress’s voice snapped Kenobi out of his musing. “And what do you think you’re staring at?” she demanded, her upper lip raised in a snarl.

Obi-Wan turned back to the console with more speed than was necessary. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t realized he had been looking in her direction. He hadn’t been staring. Had he?

Kenobi inspected the console. “I can turn the lighting down to a minimum, which should help conserve power.”

“With the added advantage of saving me from having to look at your face. Do it.”

The lights dimmed as Kenobi keyed the console, then frowned. “Looks like the life support wasn’t the only thing damaged when we separated.”

“Great,” said Ventress, standing in a lithe motion and stepping closer to loom over his shoulder. She studied the console, her eyes narrowed. “What else did you break?”

Kenobi gestured to a glowing red glyph. “The hyperdrive is damaged. In its current state, it will take us hours to the reach nearest system for repairs. Assuming it holds out that long, of course.”

Ventress rolled her eyes. “As usual, you’ve missed the obvious. We could turn the ship around and go back to the planet we just came from, send a signal, and wait for help. Surely one of your insufferable friends would be along soon to come get us.”

Kenobi raised his eyebrows. “If you wish to return to the planet where we just left Darth Maul and his brother, be my guest. Personally, I would rather take my chances with the hyperdrive.”

Ventress shrugged. “You have a point. Very well, make the calculations.” She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands over her upper arms for warmth. “But do it quickly. This bucket is losing heat by the minute.”

When the navicomputer had finished the calculations, Ventress leaned in to see the results, pressing her side against Obi-Wan as she did so. Obi-Wan could not help but notice how warm she felt against the bitter chill.

Ventress groaned. “That’s the best we can do?”

“It looks like it.” He noticed that his breath misted in the air with each word. “Even this will be cutting it a bit close.”

Asajj stalked away, and Obi-Wan tried not to miss her heat. “Well, stop wasting time and make the jump, then. I don’t want to be in this icebox with you one moment longer than I have to.”

“On that, at least, we are agreed.” He pushed a lever forward and the stars drew out into lines as the ship made the jump to lightspeed.

They both watched the blue tunnel of hyperspace for a moment as the realization that there was nothing more they could do sank in. Ventress tucked her chin against her chest and fixed a cold stare on Kenobi. “So I suppose you plan on sitting in the only chair while I wait on the floor?”

Kenobi stood, and he immediately missed the warmth of the chair.

Ventress exchanged places with him. “What a gentleman,” she hissed as she sat down.

Obi-Wan settled onto the floor of the spaceship, sitting cross-legged with his back against the wall. He raised his hood and tucked his robes closer over his body before folding his arms into his sleeves and closing his eyes.

Several moments passed before Asajj’s voice cut through the silence. “Don’t you look cozy.” She was fighting to keep her teeth from chattering as she spoke. Obi-Wan opened one eye and regarded Ventress. She had drawn her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, but she was still struggling to keep from shivering. “I suppose you’re doing some sort of precious Jedi warming exercise?”

“Meditation can help the body maintain equilibrium in many adverse situations. If you like, I can teach you--”

“Spare me the lecture, professor,” Asajj snapped.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He kept his voice even as he replied, “Maybe you can use your anger to keep you warm, then.”

Ventress did not want to dignify that with a reply. She glared at Kenobi while making a barely audible growling noise. Then her whole body gave a shiver that went on for a frightening amount of time. When she finally spoke, her voice quavered with cold. “So you’re just going to let me freeze to death?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes opened, and he studied her for several long moments. It was probably just the cold, but there had been something in her voice that sounded almost vulnerable. Slowly, resisting every movement, Kenobi stood. He tried not to look at her as he took off his outer robe. He shivered, closing his eyes for a moment as the chill in the air leached the heat from his limbs. He held the garment out to Ventress.

Nothing happened.

When he looked over, he saw that Ventress hadn’t moved. She glared at the ground, her stubborn pride barely keeping her fear in check. “I appreciate the gesture,” she began, and her bitter laugh came out as a shudder. “I don’t think that’s going to do be enough.”

Part of Obi-Wan was glad she had refused, because it meant he could put the robe back on. As he did so, he noticed that the garment had already lost a lot of its warmth. “What did you have in mind?”

Ventress’s eyes raised to his for a moment before she looked away again. “Come here.” As Kenobi stepped closer, his open face showed his confusion, while Asajj kept her face a careful mask. Ventress let out an exasperated sigh and spoke with some of her old venom. “Do I have to spell it out for you?” She uncurled her body and moved aside slightly to make room for him in the chair.

Obi-Wan hesitated. Here she was, someone who had killed so many people, who had threatened his friends and tried to kill him on numerous occasions. And yet, through it all, she had been manipulated, abused, and betrayed. He told himself that he did not have to forgive her for the things she had done, but he could not ignore that she seemed to be on the cusp of turning her life around.

With fingers so cold they hurt, Kenobi opened his outer robe and settled into the chair. Ventress turned toward him, put one arm around him, and pulled herself against him. He could feel how low her body temperature had dropped as he wrapped his robe around them both.

Obi-Wan felt the solid presence of her body against his. He was used to seeing Asajj in motion, leaping and darting as though her body weighed practically nothing. Pressed up against him, her weight felt very real and alive in a way that caught Obi-Wan off guard. She was lean, all sinew and muscle.

Unexpectedly, Obi-Wan thought of Satine. Satine was a diplomat who valued peace, while Ventress lived hand-in-hand with violence and death, but both women were driven by strong wills. While Satine’s pacifism had made her a target, Ventress had survived some of the worst the galaxy had to offer, with nobody to rely on but herself.

Well, perhaps that wasn’t entirely true anymore. He had saved her life, and she his. And now those lives could only survive by clinging together.

Asajj bent her head down so that her face was hidden beside Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Do me a favor, Kenobi.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t say anything.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi closed his eyes with the smallest of smiles.


End file.
